A Bit of Bonding
by TheDoctorsLifeMate
Summary: Rin is about 18 and living in Sesshomaru's castle. There is some distance between them. Then Sesshomaru becomes ill and the 2 bond as Rin takes care of him.
1. Chapter 1

Sesshomaru entrusted Rin into the care of Kaede and Inuyasha after the defeat of Naraku. Rin had been 8 at the time. She hadn't wanted to live in the villiage at all. Her Sesshomaru-sama however told her in his stern voice, "You will remain here until I return for you. Is that understood?" "Yes, my Lord." Rin was utterly dejected for the 1st few months of her stay. Then her Lord returned for a short visit and she realized she had indeed not been abandoned. All was right with the world once again.

Time passed as it tends to do. Rin grew older and more mature. Sesshomaru continued to visit. After about 10yrs things changed however. One Spring day the Lord of the West came into the village and called a meeting w/Kaede and Inuyasha. Everyone in Edo thought this was strange, especially Rin. "Sesshomaru never wants to talk to them!", she thought. Despite their misgivings Inuyasha and Kaede invited Sesshomaru into Kaede's hut. Once they were all settled Sesshomaru spoke. "It is time." "Time for what, asshole?" cried Inuyasha. "I have come to take Rin back into my care. She has matured now.", he replied. "What of what the child wish my Lord?" Kaede asked. "Of course it is her choice. I am just here to extend the offer.", said the Lord. "Hm, well I guess that's alright. I'll get her.", said Inuyasha getting up and leaving the hut. A few minutes later Inuyasha returned w/Rin in tow. "Lord Sesshomaru!", Rin cried. Sesshomaru nodded to her. "Rin. I have come to offer you the option of traveling w/me, if you so wish." "Of course I do my Lord! When do we leave?", Rin said while bouncing on her toes.

Several hours later the duo departed heading for the castle of the West. The trip would take 4 days if they stopped to rest at night, which Sesshomaru intended to do for Rin's sake. Rin thoroughly enjoyed the trip as she was alone w/her Lord for the first time in years. Of course the trip ended too soon for her. When they arrived at the castle she couldn't believe her eyes! "This hut was amazing! Unbelievable!" she thought. Just then her Lord spoke. "Come Rin I will show you where you will be staying." Upon arriving at her room Rin gasped then quickly covered her mouth with her hands apologizing. Sesshomaru just gave a small grunt of acknowledgment and told her to get settled in. "I shall return to take you to dinner." She immediately went to explore her new room.

Rin spend the first several day after her arrival exploring every inch of the castle and learning her way around. She made it a point to make friends with all the staff as well. Everyone in Sesshomaru's employ took to her right away. Her Lord himself however didn't have much time to spend with her. That was partly due to the fact the West was currently unsettled but it had more to do with the fact the Great Lord of the West had no idea how to interact with a young human woman such as Rin now was. Despite his lack of attention Rin found plenty to keep herself occupied. Today Sesshomaru was going out to do a regular protrol. When Rin woke earlier she found herself inexplicably sad at her Lord's departure. She tried to shake off the strange feeling as she headed to breakfast. It wouldn't leave her, however. By the time she was to bid her Sesshomaru-sama far well she was in a dark mood, which the astute Western Lord noticed. He did not question her about it though. He simply gave her his usual small caress of the head and informed her he'd be home by night fall. Before he could escape though, Rin wrapped him in a hug. She didn't hang on to him long but it was long enough to make an impact on him. He left quickly after that heading toward the north.

Sesshomaru traveled for a few hours around his territory pondering recent events. His pondering left him distracted. So he didn't notice the camp of demon bandits he was walking into. Of course he realized he had a situation on his hands when he smelled their rancid stench and heard them speak. "Who dares enter our camp?" "You're not getting away with trespassing!" "You die here and now!" This caused Sesshomaru to smile, a smile that struck fear into the hearts of the other demons. They began to easy back from the angered Lord but it was too late. He attacked. The upper hand was his for a short time that is until one of the bandits remembered the stolen sword from the warlord's mansion they had just robbed. It appeared to have some hidden powers. This bandit decided to test the swords powers on the demon lord attacking them. He unsheathed the katana and used the battle as a distraction to sneak up behind the Lord. Once he was close enough he swung the katana cutting into Sesshomaru's right shoulder down to the bone. He let out a cry of pain and rounded on his attacker proceeding to strike out at him. It was a mistake though. His action gave his other enemies an opening to land several blows. Of course this enraged him and he lashed out killing them all with one strike. However, when the dust settled and his rage calmed Sesshomaru was bruised and bloodied. There was the gash in his shoulder, his ribs were broken on one side, he dislocated his knee, and had a sizable lump on the back of his head which started to throb. Belatedly he realized the toll the battle had taken on him. He was exhausted. After all he'd lost quite a bit of blood and use a large amount of demonic energy to dispatch the bandits. Sessh took stock of his surrounding for a moment. He was a long way from the castle of the West. Too far honestly. His home seemed impossibly far away and the thought of returning there now only increased his sense of fatigue. So he decided to head for a cave he knew of and rest there until his strength returned. This cave, however, was in the mountains a short ways. Thus it would be cold without a fire. He didn't care though. He's a demon after all. He can handle a bit of cold for a while. With that last thought he headed up the mountain.

It was colder then Sesshomaru had thought. He knew he should build a fire but he was just too exhausted. Instead he moved toward the back of the cave and settled in. Closing his eyes he slept though his injuries throbbed terribly. It was several hours before he awoke. He found that he had not recovered his strength and was more sore then when he fell asleep. However, he knew he could not remain in this haven any longer. It was time to return home. So he climbed to his feet and headed toward the Western Castle. Being hit by a wall of frigid air nearly made him rethink leaving the cave before spring. Never the less he continued on towards home. His muscles ached and every step made him feel as though his knee was being dislocated again. Despite having left the mountains he still felt abnormally cold. His stomach kept turning over in an uncomfortable way as well. This caused him to increase his pace so he could be in the comfort of his own chambers. Although it still took a couple hours he arrived home without sustaining further damage.

Even though Sesshomaru usual sought out Rin upon his return, tonight he headed straight for his chambers. He was sluggish as he disrobed and got in bed. Sessh wrapped himself in the blankets and curled into a ball. That was very unusual for him. The fetal position wasn't a staple for Sesshomaru. He quickly fell into a deep sleep. While he slept he began to shiver and cough. Eventually it woke him up. Instead of simply going back to sleep Sessh decided to go to kitchen for some water. As it turned out Rin had not been able to sleep either and was in the library reading one of her favorite books. Meanwhile her Lord slowly made his way to the kitchen. He noticed the candle light coming from the library and decided to investigate after he got the water. When he got to the library entrance he cleared his throat to draw Rin's attention. The noise brought her head shooting up. "My Lord! Your home!" She put down her book and rushed to him enveloping him in a tight hug. Despite himself he groaned ever so quietly due to the force of her hug causing him pain. "Are you alright, my Lord? How was your patrol?" He took a slow deep breath to try to ease his pain then answered her. "It was an regular patrol. I'm fine" he stated though his voice sounded slightly weaker then normal. Rin scrutinized him then. As she looked him over she noticed his palor and how tired he seemed. "He usually comes to see me after a patrol and he never seems tired at all. He's definitely never seemed this tired before." She took his hand and brought him over to the couch she had occupied before he came in. When she took his hand in hers she noticed it was abnormally warm, too warm. That combined with his palor worried her.

Sesshomaru sits with Rin and drinks the last of his water. He can sense a bit of worry from her though he isn't sure how to sooth her. For a while they sit there in silence but its not uncomfortable. Slightly startling Sessh Rin speaks up. "May I ask, my Lord, what has you up at this time of night?" He was surprised by her question and wasn't sure what or how much to tell her. Looking into her face then Sesshomaru is overwhelmed by the sincereity, concern, and genuine curiousity he sees. He feels compelled to be honest with her at this moment. Breathing a sigh he tells her. "I woke after a restless sleep. I decided to have a drink thus I came to the kitchens." "Oh I see. So you've been home for a while?" There was hurt in her eyes at this statement which gripped Sesshomaru's heart. He simply nodded and let her continue. "Then why didn't you seek me out my Lord, like you always do?" Seeing how that simply decision had hurt her he felt ashamed. He looked away from her and bowed his head slightly. He spoke then, "I did not mean to distress you, Rin. I was injured as I returned home. I wished to meet with you after I was recovered." Rin takes in this new information. Just as she is about to ask how he is now her Lord speaks again. "Why are you up at this hour? Should you not be resting in your chambers?" "I…I was..worried my Lord, about you. I'm sorry." Of course this did not help Sessh's opinion of himself. "Do not apologize!", he said a bit too sternly. "Yes Lord Sesshomaru."

As they sat together Sesshomaru began to feel ill. His stomach began to churn and his head throbbed. He had to suppress several coughs and hide a shudder from Rin. Despite his efforts Rin picks up on his distress. "Lord Sesshomaru…what aren't you saying?" Rin had always been uniquely in tune with Sesshomaru and had learned to read him like a book. She could easily tell now that something was truly wrong. Sighing Sesshomaru met her eyes. "I am unwell it seems." Rin was genuinely surprise. That wasn't what she was expecting. "You are? What wrong? What's bothering you, my Lord?" Sessh found the hardest part was the first admittance. Innumerating his symptoms seems less difficult. "My injuries have not fully healed so I am dealing with some pain. I go from feeling unnaturally cold to extremely hot. My head aches and something plagues my stomach. I do not understand it." Rin was up from her seat and wrapping him in a hug the moment he finished. "Oh I'm sorry my Lord! You should have told me." She paused then released him slowly. She pinned him with a concerned, pleading look. "Will you allow me to help you? Please Lord Sesshomaru?" How could he refuse her, especially with a look like that? His Rin. "You may do what you wish Rin." That was all he said. Smiling excitedly she said, "You will? I'm glad!" After thinking a moment she announces, "I think you should rest now. I need to get a few things to help me take care of you. I'll come to your chambers when I have them. Is that alright?" Nodding Sessh rose and headed for the door of the room.

After watching him go Rin rushed to the kitchen. It was obvious to her that Sesshomaru had a fever. So she knew she'd need cool water and a clean clothe. She also looked around for the herbs that settle the stomach since he said his stomach was upset. Once she had all that she left the kitchen heading for her Lord's chambers. On the way it occurred to her Sessh might need an extra blanket so she made a stop at the linen closet. Fully supplied she made it to the door to his chambers. Knocking softly she called out, "Lord Sesshomaru?" After a moment she heard, "Come in." She did so and saw her Lord laying in his bed curled in on himself ever so slightly. She closed the door and went over to him. "Are you cold?", she asked as she felt his forehead. He gave her a curious look then and simply nodded in answer to her question. "Alright I brought a blanket." Rin covered him up. "I brought something to settle your stomach. You have to drink it though." She offered him a cup which he took and drank it down. When he had settled back against his pillows she placed a cool clothe on his forehead. "How does that feel my Lord?" "Better.", he answered honestly. Odd as it was he felt calmer and more relaxed now that Rin was here tending to him. It confused him though so he decided not to think about it at the moment. "I'm glad.", Rin said as she caressed his hair for a few moments. He closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the feel of what she was doing. Rin sat on the edge of the bed and continued her ministrations until Sesshomaru drifted off to sleep.

Once she was sure he was sleeping soundly she went over and stoked the fire. She began to wonder, "How long should I stay? Maybe I should just leave now. Would that upset him though?" She pondered these thoughts for a while then it occurred to her that if she left she'd have no way of knowing if he needed anything. Also she realized he had given her permission to help him so he couldn't get mad at her for staying in his chambers to do just that, could he? No he couldn't. With that decided she settled in for a long stay.

After simply watching Sesshomaru sleep for a short time Rin became antsy. Honestly she was worried. Sesshomaru may be the most powerful demon in Japan but right now he was a sick, injured demon. A few minutes after he fell asleep he started coughing. Now that she was beside him she could hear the congestion in his chest. But what could she do about it? Nothing came to mind at the moment. She'd have to give it some thought. Well, anyway there were other important things to worry about now. Turning back to the male on the bed she tried to decide what to do next. She reached out and adjusted his blankets. He turned over to face her and curled into the fetal position more tightly. Now she could see the sheen of sweat on his face and redness in his cheeks. "His fever's back!", she realized. Hurriedly she wet a clothe and wiped his face with it. When the clothe touched his skin he moaned ever so slightly and crinkle his brows. "It's alright.", she cooed brushing over his hair. This seemed to help, thankfully. But not for very long however. He grew restless tossing and turning. But he never unwrapped himself from the fetal position. "What's the matter my Lord?", Rin thought. She tried to speak soothing words in hopes he would calm but it only became worse. Not wanting to wake him as he needed to rest in order to recover she hesitated. But then he started to moan softly so she couldn't avoid it anymore. "Lord Sesshomaru….Lord Sesshomaru…wake up my Lord. Come on my Lord…I need you to wake up. Please…" With her last word Sesshomaru stirred. He rolled over towards her looking confused. "Rin?" "Yes my Lord?" "Wha…?" "Forgive me my Lord. You weren't resting well so I thought I should…wake you up." "Hn I see." In truth he felt quite awful but it was nothing more rest wouldn't cure. "So, um, how do you feel now Lord Sesshomaru?" Should he mention that his stomach was upset again, more so then before? Well he did tell her she could help him. Would she not think him untrue to his word if him this from her? Yes in fact she would he decided. "It seems that my stomach is upset.", he frowned.

That surprised Rin somewhat. She didn't expect her Lord to be so forth right but she was glad he was. "Alright I'll make some more of the tea to settle your stomach.", Rin smiled. She moved over to the fire to boil the water. Sesshomaru laid back down to wait. After a few minutes he was presented with the tea which he drank willingly. When he finished he gave Rin a kind look which was his version of a thank you. In response Rin gave him her brightest smile. "You should try and sleep again now." Taking her advice he laid down and got comfortable again. A thought occurred to him before he could completely relax however. He glance out the window at the night sky and said, "Rin have you slept?" "No my Lord.", she responded with a small blush. "Hm, I see. Do you intend to sleep tonight?" "Well…I…" He stopped her there. The answer was clear. It was also clear she hadn't expected him to take notice. "I will not have you deprived of sleep for my sake. That is unacceptable." "Uh oh!", Rin thought. She knew that tone. Her Lord Sesshomaru was upset. At her it seemed. As far back as she could remember her Lord had never spoken to her in this tone, had never been truly upset with her as he seemed now.

Quickly she bowed low. "Please forgive me Lord Sesshomaru! I didn't mean to upset you! I just wanted to help you! I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I'll head to my chambers right now!" Upon uttering her last word she turned and rushed for the door. "Rin." It was a command. She stopped dead but she didn't dare turn around. "Yes my Lord? Is there something I can do for you before I go?" "Rin, come here.", Sessh said simple. Another command. But this one confused her. Isn't he mad? Doesn't he want me to go to bed? Standing at the side of the bed she bowed a little and said, "Yes my Lord?" "I did not intend for you to rush from my chamber. I simply wished you to rest as human require." Her eyes bulged slightly. Now she was thoroughly confused. "But…my futon is in my chamber. There is no where for me to rest here my Lord." Sessh could see Rin was bewildered. She obviously couldn't fathom what he was implying and truthfully he was surprised himself. "There is a place in my chamber for you to sleep tonight Rin." He moved the covers on the other side of bed aside and gestured with his hand to the empty spot. Rin nearly fainted! Lord Sesshomaru wanted her to sleep next to him? WHAT? "Oh…alright my Lord. Um, ok then." With that she moved to the other side of the bed and got in.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Rin woke up before Sesshomaru. At first she was disoriented but then she remembered what happened the night before. "That's right. Lord Sesshomaru asked me to sleep here last night.", she recalled. At that moment she noticed the position she was in. To say it was a surprise would be an understatement. Sesshomaru had wrapped her in a hug and pulled her close. They were snuggling. She had to wonder if her Lord realize what he had done and their current position. Would he be upset or uncomfortable when he woke up and saw this? She certainly hoped not! "Hm, maybe I can…?" With this thought forming she tried to wiggle out of Sesshomaru's hold. "Nope, the gods are not smiling on me this morning." , was her response to feeling the grip on her waist tighten. Well it seems she just have to await her fate. There was nothing else she could do. After an eternity, which lasted all of 5 minutes, Rin felt Sessh start to stir. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for his reaction. When she opened her eyes she found herself looking into golden irises. "Good morning my Lord.", she tried timidly. There was a pause during which Rin search for any sign of a reaction from him. Then her greeting was returned, calmly. "How are you feeling? Have your injuries healed at all?" While she spoke she brought her hand up to feel his temperature. "Well your fever is down somewhat." She gave him an encouraging smile. "I feel…I do not feel as unwell as I did last night. My injuries seem to be mostly healed." "At least that's progress!" Sessh nodded and got out of bed. Rin watched him intently until her reached the fireplace. He picked up a poker, stoked the fire back to life and then took a seat in front of it. Without turning to look at her he said, "You should go have breakfast before it becomes time for lunch." Glancing out the window she realized he was right. It would be lunch time soon. However, she was not fond of the idea of having breakfast while he ate nothing. "Your right Lord Sesshomaru. WE need to hurry to breakfast or WE'LL miss it." This earned her a look and a quirk of an eyebrow. "We? I do not recall implying I would be attending breakfast."

It took Rin a good 10 minutes of persuation but she managed to convince Sesshomaru to go with her to breakfast. At the moment they were dressed and heading through the corridors to the dining room. Although, clearly Sesshomaru wasn't thrilled. During their short walk each was lost in their own thoughts. Rin was still wondering why Sesshomaru asked her to sleep next to him last night. Not only that but he had held her during the night! What on Earth was going on? Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was wondering at his own motives and feelings. Aside from that how did he allow a HUMAN to convince him to do something he did not desire to do? A human CHILD no less! Well Rin wasn't exactly a child at this point. He must be getting soft. After having such a disturbing thought they arrived at the dining room. Rin entered ahead of him. They had a seat at the large table and a servant appeared to ask them what they'd like to eat. Rin ordered then turned to him with an expectant look. Sighing he ordered something as well. This earned him a large smile from his ward which made him feel curiously warm inside. He had to actually work to suppress a smile. They sat in comfortable silence for a short time after that. He serendipitously watched Rin out of the corner of his eye. Rin stole glances at him as well. He found himself curious as to what prompted her to do so after a time. "Rin what is it you are thinking?" That seemed to surprise her. "My Lord?" "You have been watching me throughout the meal. I am curious what causes you to do so." Rin blushed a deep red. She had been caught! How embarrassing! She couldn't tell lord Sesshomaru what she was thinking, why she was staring. She would simply die if she did. Not to mention how upset her honest answer would make him. Of course Rin was wrong about this but she had no idea what had been going on with her Lord recently. "Um…well…" Oh Kami what do I say? I can't lie but… "Rin you need not be concerned with politeness or proper behavior. I wish you to speak you mind." Whoa! He had never said anything like that to her before. Her Lord valued the proper way of things highly. Why was he willing to ignore such things now? Was he truly that curious? If so perhaps she should simply tell him. "Oh, alright then. Well, um, you see, I was just thinking about what happened last night. I was trying to figure it out. I apologize. I didn't mean to stare." That caught Sesshomaru off guide to say the least. He wasn't sure what he had expected to hear but that wasn't it. She was watching him so closely because of what had happened last night? He didn't even know the reasons for what happened last night! What was he to do?

For the first time since she had come across her Lord in the woods outside her former village Rin witnessed shock appear and remain on Sesshomaru's face.


	3. Chapter 3

For the first time since she had come across her Lord in the woods outside her former village Rin witnessed shock appear and remain on Sesshomaru's face. After a few moments Sesshomaru regained some composure. He blinked and took a long breath. "I understand Rin. You do not need to apologize." Rin was still watching her lord. Sessh still seemed somewhat taken aback by her statement but she could see it had not upset him. Her Lord seemed to be trying to figure something out simply by staring. There was a slight flush on his cheeks which prompted Rin to ask, "Daijoubu ka(are you ok) Sesshomaru-sama?" The response came after several heart beats. "I am not feeling as well this morning as I had hoped." To Rin's questioning look he said, "I believe my fever has returned." "Ok. Let's go back to your chambers. I think you should rest for a while."

The 2 returned to Sesshomaru's room. On the way Rin stopped in the kitchen to get a fresh jug of water. When Sessh laid down Rin put a cool, wet clothe on his head. She sat by his futon and continued to refresh the cloth. Sessh fell asleep quickly and rested for a couple hours. When he woke he found that Rin was still at his side. She smiled warmly at him when he opened his eyes. Despite his usual nature he return Rin's smile with a tiny one of his own. That caused Rin to absolutely glow. "Konnichiwa my Lord. How do you feel?" "I am recovering. Arigato." "I'm glad to hear it." There was a long silence where the 2 simply observed each other. Then Sessh said, "It was not necessary for you to remain here while I slept…." Rin interrupted him there. "I know I didn't have to my Lord! I wanted to stay! You are ill. I want to help you however I can." She accompanied this with a bright smile and warm look. Sesshomaru was taken aback for the 2nd time that day by her response. What was going on? Rin had never looked at him in that way before. Without truly thinking about it he asked, "What exactly were you thinking of this morning at breakfast? What caused you to stare?" Rin's eyes became the size of dinner plates and her mouth nearly touched the ground. "Did my Lord truly ask me that? Kami! What do I say? I can't answer him honestly…can i? I don't want to lie to him but I don't know how to tell him how I feel….I must however." While she was thinking this Rin had broken eye contact with Sessh and had dropped her head. Now she raised her eyes to her Lord and said, "Well….you see Sesshomaru-sama…I was trying to understand why you allowed me to remain with you last night. It is very different from your usual behavior. I was wondering what that meant. Sumimasen(excuse me)." A shock went through Sesshomaru. He was flabbergasted to say the least. But he found himself feeling warm inside as well. It pleased him that she wanted to understand him. "I see.", was all Sessh could think to say for the moment. Yet he wondered, "Should I explain myself? If so what do I explain? I am not certain why I did what I did myself! However Rin deserves to have some answers." With that thought Sesshomaru turned to Rin. "I shall do what I can to help you understand my actions. I am not fully certain why I invited you to remain in my chambers last night." This revelation surprised Rin a great deal. There was something her Sesshomaru-sama DIDN'T know? Sesshomaru continued, "However, you well being is my primary concern. I will never allow you to come to harm nor be in discomfort. You were caring for me though you did not need to do so. It would have been dishonorable to allow you to go without sleep the entire night when it could be avoided." Rin's heart nearly stopped. SHE WAS HIS PRIMARY CONCERN? OH KAMI-SAMA! As she stared at her Lord her heart began to race. Her cheeks flushed and her breath became short. She felt lightheaded. She couldn't believe what she had just heard! Her Lord cared for her!


End file.
